Lou Reed

Rock musician Lou Reed died over the weekend from liver disease. He was 71. I always liked Reed’s most famous song, Walk on the Wild Side. Almost everyone has heard the song at least once. Most people don’t bother listening to the lyrics beyond,

I Said, Hey baby
Take a walk on the wild side
And the colored girls go
Doo do doo do doo do do doo…

Years ago, I explained to an ex-girlfriend the song’s meaning. You would have thought I made her watch the Rocky Horror Picture Show for the plot. It was one of her favorite songs and I ruined it for her. I don’t think we were together much longer after that. Not everyone likes to find out their favorite song is about a transvestite prostitute and drug use.

I always thought if you could make a song like that work, you have to have real talent.

As popular as Walk on the Wild Side was with the public, this song was better: